Puppy farmer, 82, shot dead his partner and her daughter after police returned his shotguns despite his threat to another relative the previous year, inquest hears

  • John Lowe murdered Christine Lee, 66, and Lucy Lee, 40, on his Surrey farm 
  • Police thought to have taken guns year before over threats to kill Lucy's sister 
  • They returned firearms, one of which he then used to murder, jurors heard 
  • Inquest is investigating how much police knew of the threat that Lowe posed 

John Lowe (pictured with some of the puppies on his farm) murdered a mother and her daughter with a shotgun in 2014

John Lowe (pictured with some of the puppies on his farm) murdered a mother and her daughter with a shotgun in 2014 

A pensioner who shot his partner and her daughter dead on his puppy farm had previously had his guns returned by police despite threatening another relative, an inquest has heard.

John Lowe was 82 when he murdered Christine Lee, 66, and Lucy Lee, 40, at Keepers Cottage Stud in Farnham, Surrey. 

Lucy's harrowing 999 call, in which she says her mother has been shot, was played at Surrey Coroner's Court today as an inquest into their deaths opened.

'I'm running for my life,' she can be heard saying. 'He's just shot my mum. John Lowe.'

After giving her address several times she says: 'He's going to shoot me,' adding: 'I doubt if I'm going to be alive if I go back in there.'

Lowe was convicted of murder in 2014, jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years and has since died in prison. 

The previous year he'd had his firearms confiscated after threatening to kill Lucy's sister, Stacey Banner, only for police to hand them back before he committed the double murder. 

Christine Lee (pictured) died after the 82-year-old shot her on his puppy farm
Lucy Lee (pictured) made a harrowing 999 call in which she told the operator that her mother had been shot and begged them to help her

Lucy Lee (pictured, right) called police in a harrowing 999 call played at today's inquest. She told operator that her mother (pictured, left) had been shot dead by the farmer and begged for help shortly before being killed 

An inquest is now examining how aware police and others were of the threat he posed. 

Coroner Richard Travers told the jury at Surrey Coroner's Court today: 'Some of the evidence you will hear is controversial and contradictory because the accounts of friends and family do differ, and on the whole you will not have to resolve these differences or decide precisely where the truth lies.'

He said jurors' task would be to decide 'what information (friends and family) may have given to the police and other agencies'.

Christine and Lowe first met in the 1980s after she had left her abusive husband and moved with her children to Surrey, visiting his property to buy a puppy.

Despite the fact he was married to a woman named Sue Wilson, Ms Lee and her daughters, Lucy and Stacey Banner, later moved to the property and lived with Lowe and Ms Wilson.

The jury was told the girls came to regard Ms Wilson as a 'second mum'. Lowe and Ms Lee's relationship ended several years later and she and her family left the property, but in 2013, when Ms Wilson was unwell, Ms Banner returned to the property to care for her and help run the dog-breeding business. Lowe threatened Ms Banner with a shotgun after a row in June 2013, the court heard. 

John Lowe (pictured) was 82 when he murdered Lucy Lee and he mother Christine. An inquest is examining how much police knew about the threat that he posed
Stacey Banner (pictured) was threatened the year before Lowe killed her sister and mother, the court heard

John Lowe (pictured) was 82 when he murdered Lucy Lee and he mother Christine. An inquest is examining how much police knew about the threat that he posed and today jurors heard he also threatened Stacey Banner (right)

Mr Travers said: 'A series of significant events followed. (Ms Banner) telephoned the police and told them he had pointed a shotgun at her and said he would kill her if she ever returned.

'Surrey Police attended Keepers Cottage, they removed John Lowe's shotguns and undertook an investigation into an allegation of threats to kill.

'Mr Lowe denied threatening to kill Ms Banner and she made a statement saying she did not support John Lowe's prosecution.

'No further action was taken and in July 2013 Surrey Police made the decision that John Lowe's shotguns could be returned to him.'

Following Ms Banner's departure, her mother returned to the property to care for Lowe and the animals, while Lucy Lee also stayed on the property at times. 

The court heard that after his arrest by specialist firearms officers, Lowe told them: 'They're starving me to death. I have to beg them for money.'

He later said: 'This must look terrible to outsiders, what's happened, but I assure you nothing else could be done.'

He added while he was in custody that he had needed 'to put them down'.

Lowe also said: 'A lot of things will go in my favour about how they acted, but you can't get past the fact I shot them,' and: 'If they hadn't gone all f****** mental at me I wouldn't have pulled the trigger.'

Mr Travers said to the jury: 'What contact did Surrey Police have with Christina and Lucy Lee? What assessment of risk was passed to Lucy Lee?'

He told the jurors they would have to consider what knowledge the police had of the domestic issues at Keepers Cottage.

 

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